Sacrificial Lamb

   There is no such thing as a free lunch.  Nor are there free state or island birds.  Any state bird anyone ever gets, no matter how free it feels, is costly to someone, somehow.  One way in which Farallon birds are earned is through the sacrifice of another.  A sacrificial lamb lays down his or her list for the benefit of others.  I'd say that it's altruism but the lamb generally has no choice and, given a choice, would choose otherwise.  Fate is in control of one's lambdom.

   Speaking of sacrifices, here is the final photograph of Uppy the Upland Sanpiper, who departed SEFI sometime on the 24th or early on the 25th.  Here we have a Meta-Portrait:  a portrait of a portraiter portraiting a portraitee.  If someone had taken my portrait while I was taking this portrait of a portrait...I don't think I can wrap my head around what that would have meant.

Eva obtaining crushing portraits of The King of Bartramia

Here is the current fall crew enjoying a fine evening on SEFI:

Dear pyre: please attract a Eurasian Dotterel.